"Say," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Greg, suddenly looking over at the water, "we have begun to hit up a faster speed. So have the other transports.
And look at the destroyers off yonder. They are moving faster, too. I wonder if any submarine signs have been seen."
There could be no doubt that the fleet was moving faster.
"I take it," Prescott guessed, "that we"ve reached the part of the ocean, where greater speed is considered much more healthful."
"The leading transport is signaling, and so are the destroyers in the lead," Greg announced, peering ahead.
In their path, and coming nearer four columns of dense smoke could be observed ascending as though coming up out of the water.
"More destroyers, or some cruisers, coming out to meet us," d.i.c.k conjectured. "As yet they"re too far away to be seen from this deck. Yes, I must be right. Look at the watch officers on the bridge. They are using their marine gla.s.ses and looking forward."
"More craft coming to help us?" Greg called up, after having walked nearly under the bridge end on the port side.
"Yes, sir," replied one of the watch officers. "Four American destroyers coming up to strengthen the escort."
Then he named the oncoming craft, whereat d.i.c.k Prescott started with pleasure.
"The first two are the craft commanded by Darry and Danny Grin,"
d.i.c.k murmured to his chum.
"That"s right," Greg nodded. "I wonder if they know we"re here."
"Probably not. And they wouldn"t recognize us, even if they saw us at a distance. The uniform tends to make all men look alike at a very little distance. It will seem tough, though, to be so near Darry and Danny Grin and not have even a wave of the hand from them."
"What part of the ocean are we in?" Greg called up to the obliging bridge officer.
"On the surface, sir," came the dry reply. "On the surface---just where, in lat.i.tude and longitude?" Holmes insisted.
But the ship"s officer smiled and shook his head.
"I"m not permitted to tell that, sir. Wish I could."
Going at the speed now employed the transport fleet and the oncoming destroyers were not long in getting to close quarters.
d.i.c.k named the two destroyers commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Dave Darrin and Lieutenant-Commander Dan Dalzell and asked the bridge officer if he could point them out. That the man above was able and very glad to do.
"We"ll keep our eyes open in the hope of being close enough to signal Darry and Danny Grin," Captain Holmes suggested.
"We-----" d.i.c.k began, but he stopped right there, for of a sudden three of the destroyers let go with their three-inch guns with a great deal of energy.
Two periscopes had been sighted off to northward. After a few rounds had been served from the destroyers" guns the firing ceased, for half a dozen of the escort craft had gone racing northward and there was danger of hitting them.
Not that any periscopes were now visible, however, for these had been instantly withdrawn under the surface. The destroyers, however, went alertly in search of their enemy prey, even to dropping a few depth bombs on the chance of destroying the enemy sub-sea craft.
"A good warning, at least," commented Captain Prescott. "We don"t feel quite as foolish, now, in our life belts."
Everlastingly and splendidly alert the naval craft had chased off the sea wolves ere the latter had had time to bare their teeth!
Still more the speed was increased. An hour pa.s.sed in which there was no alarm. Then the enlisted men, forward, filed below decks to have their early noon meal. The first lieutenants of each company went below, too, to inspect the food served to their men.
Half an hour later the Ninety-ninth"s officers descended to their own mess in the cabin dining-room.
"This trip through the danger zone isn"t as exciting as I had supposed and expected it would be," announced Major Wells.
"Yet, sir, one attempt was made against us this forenoon," said d.i.c.k.
"True, but the destroyers showed how promptly the attackers could be driven off," the major argued.
"Yet suppose the destroyers had been half a minute longer in sighting the tell-tale periscopes?" Prescott suggested.
"But they weren"t tardy, and it wouldn"t be like the Navy to be slow," rejoined Major Wells. "I still contend that there is nothing very exciting in pa.s.sing through the danger zone on a troopship."
"And I hope, sir," Greg put in, "that nothing will happen to change your mind about the danger. For my part, I have been eating in momentary expectation of feeling a big smash against the side of the ship."
"What is happening now?" demanded Lieutenant Noll Terry, half-rising from his chair.
All could feel that the big ship had suddenly changed her course to a violent oblique movement to starboard. Yet, as no alarm had been sounded no officer cared to rise and hurry to deck. It might make him look timid or nervous.
"There we go again, in the opposite direction. We"re zig-zagging.
What do you make of that, Captain?" Lieutenant Terry asked.
"The enemy craft must be around and sending torpedoes our way,"
d.i.c.k guessed, dropping a lump of sugar in his coffee and stirring it slowly.
"In a merry throng like this the suspicion that you"re being dogged by a hostile submarine doesn"t strike one as very terrifying, does it?" Greg inquired as he took a piece of cake from the plate held out to him.
At this moment the adjutant, Captain Craig, who had been eating with Colonel Cleaves in the latter"s quarters above, entered the dining-room briskly, stepping to a nearby table and rapping for attention.
"Gentlemen," he announced, "the sea appears to be infested, at this point, with unseen enemy craft. Ours, among other transports, has narrowly dodged two torpedoes. It is quite within the limits of possibility that we may be struck at any moment. The commanding officer therefore requests me to ask that company officers, especially second lieutenants, finish their meal as quickly as possible and station themselves near their men. This is not to be done hurriedly, or with any sign of excitement, but merely in order that, if we should be struck, discipline may be preserved effectively."
There was no excitement. Second lieutenants finished the morsels on which they were engaged, some of them washing down the food with a final gulp of coffee. Then, without undue haste, they left the dining-room by twos or threes.
Adjutant Craig watched them with nods of satisfaction.
"That was the right way for them to leave," he told d.i.c.k. "We do not want to throw any extra excitement in among the enlisted men, but we want them to feel that their officers are standing by, and that, at need, there will be disciplined rescue work."
Soon after the last of the platoon leaders had vanished the captains and first lieutenants made their way to the decks above.
Contrary to German reports that American soldiers are kept mostly between decks while transports are in the danger zone, the decks fore and aft were crowded with men of the Ninety-ninth. Those who stood nearest to the rails felt that they had the best vantage points from which to see what was going on. It was with eager interest, not fear, that the soldiers took in all that was visible of the fleet"s progress and the work of the destroyers to protect the troopships from disaster.
From northward and slightly ahead of the course of the troopship of the Ninety-ninth a swift destroyer could be seen darting over the waves. As she came closer it seemed to the Army beholders that she traveled with the speed of an express train.
"Worth watching, and every officer and man visible on her looks and acts like a piece of the machinery," commented Major Wells, pa.s.sing Prescott an extended field gla.s.s. "Want to take a look at her?"
"Why, I"d know that tall officer on her bridge anywhere in the world if I had as good a view of him as I have now," uttered d.i.c.k delightedly.
"Old Darry?" inquired Greg Holmes.